The fatty acid and monosaccharide compositions of three neutral and three phosphorylated glycolipids isolated from Leishmania donovani promastigotes grown in a chemically defined medium

Several lipids and macromolecular lipoconjugates of Leishmania spp. have no w been well characterized; however, the glycolipids of L. donovani have not been thoroughly examined. In the present study, 3 neutral and 3 phosphoryl ated glycolipids were detected in promastigote forms of the organism grown in a chemically defined medium. The fatty acid and sugar compositions of th ese glycolipids, isolated and purified by adsorption column chromatography and thin-layer chromatographic procedures, were identified and quantified b y gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Myristate (14:0), palmit ate (16:0), palmitoleate (16:1), stearate (18:0), oleate (18:1), and linole ate (18:2) were the major fatty acids in all 6 glycolipids. Arabinose, mann ose, glucose, and galactose were detected in the glycolipids. The biochemic al nature of these lipids suggested that the major components in the isolat ed preparations of the 6 glycolipids are diacylglycerophospholipids, distin ct from the major precursors of macromolecular lipoconjugates such as the l ipid anchors of cell surface antigens that have been reported. These appear to be terminal products of lipid biosynthesis in this parasite.